Upgrade my CPU processor a bit

I have an old HP desktop and would like to upgrade the CPU processor,
but I'm not sure if there is a rule for what will fit.

I'm thinking about going from i5 to an i7 since cost is an issue,
and probably buying used off eBay unless there's a better way.

My budget is around $100.
Anybody got some advice for me?

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3470 CPU @ 3.20GHz, 3201 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
Installed RAM 16.0 GB (15.9 GB usable)
BaseBoard Manufacturer Hewlett-Packard
BaseBoard Product 3397
System type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Is it an hp 8300 ?

Doubt it is worth it changing to i7-3770. ( they are about £35 in the UK )

you could save your pennies towards a more modern but not necessarily brand new machine.

I have a desktop with i5-3570s cpu. Works well enough.

I suggest using an ssd which should be a big improvement and can be moved to a newer machine later on. That would be a beter investment.

Those lga1155 with 3rd gen i5 are ok for general pottering.

More sensible to pick up something used but not very old. Intel 8th gen are reasonable now, more powerful, more efficient and support win11.

Thanks Megahertz,

I didn't realize there was more to it than just replacing the processor.
I see some 17-3770, 3770S and there's a 3770K as well on eBay,
in fact, there's a new 3770 from China for $90.

I'm a S/W guy and this is not in my wheelhouse, so I have a few Q's:
- in a nutshell, what's the difference between the 3770 & 3770S?
- do I definitely need to change the heat sink and fan,
- or at least, how can I find out for sure?

Thanks

I dont know US pricing, but in the UK a nice little system i5-8400, 2x8gb ddr4 ram, b365 motherboard would be about £120 now.
Could get a h310 motherboard instead of the b365 for 10-15 less but h310 has fewer connections, which might or might not matter.

I think it is a waste to spend £35 on an i7-3770.

As far as I know the hp 8300 can handle the i7-3770 if you are determined to go that route. The s variant has a lower tdp which means it stays a bit cooler in theory. But that also affects the performance a tiny bit when pushed.

People use the i7-3770 in hp 8300 sff with the hp supplied heatsink and fan.

Intel Core i7-3770S @ 3.10GHz vs Intel Core i7-3770 @ 3.40GHz [cpubenchmark.net] by PassMark Software

Bree said:

Welcome to Ten Forums.


I agree. There's only a 27% difference in the benchmark for those two CPUs....
Intel Core i5-3470 @ 3.20GHz vs Intel Core i7-3770 @ 3.40GHz [cpubenchmark.net] by PassMark Software

The performance that can be gained by switching from an HDD to a SATA SSD is far more dramatic.

SSD vs HDD - Comparing Speed, Lifespan, Reliability

Thanks,
I have a 500GB SSD already

- - - Updated - - -

SIW2 said:

I dont know US pricing, but in the UK a nice little system i5-8400, 2x8gb ddr4 ram, b365 motherboard would be about £120 now.
Could get a h310 motherboard instead of the b365 for 10-15 less but h310 has fewer connections, which might or might not matter.

I think it is a waste to spend £35 on an i7-3770.

As far as I know the hp 8300 can handle the i7-3770 if you are determined to go that route. The s variant has a lower tdp which means it stays a bit cooler in theory. But that also affects the performance a tiny bit when pushed.

People use the i7-3770 in hp 8300 sff with the hp supplied heatsink and fan.

Intel Core i7-3770S @ 3.10GHz vs Intel Core i7-3770 @ 3.40GHz [cpubenchmark.net] by PassMark Software

So this is my situation:
- I bought the computer used.
- I had them U/G the C: drive to a 500GB SSD.
- Drive D: = 100MB and I have no idea why it’s even there.
- Drive E: = 1000GB HDD that came from my previous computer, used as storage only.

I do no real gaming that requires a big punch.
It is used mostly for internet surfing and Perl/Python script development.

It works fairly well as is, but a little more horsepower would be nice.
It has Windows 10 on it, and I’m not sure what 11 has that I can benefit from.

This is why I thought the next generation up from i5 would work for me.
Maybe I should consider scrapping this idea and getting a different box,
but now we're talking about a bigger budget than $100.

Maybe I should consider scrapping this idea and getting a different box

I would.

but now we're talking about a bigger budget than $100.

Not all that much bigger. I would save a few more pennies and wait a bit for the prices to come down. I paid £75 for an i5-8400 just over a year ago. They have been dropping ever since to £30 today. The two sticks of ddr4 ram 8gb 3200mhz has gone from £50 down to £24.

If you are on a tight budget , you could see where it is in maybe 2-3 months and hopefully treat yourself to an early Xmas present.

It is certainly worth it! I had an Intel Core-i3 3220 in my computer and replaced with a second-hand Intel Core-i7 3770. The performance difference was remarkable. I had bought it 70€, much higher than your £35. If you miss that chance you may not have other and regret it for ever.